The invention concerns an ammunition container in the form of a vertical housing that is positioned beneath or alongside an automatic weapon (e.g., machine gun or automatic cannon) and whose rectangular cross section is adapted to accommodate both the bullet length and the amplitude or the zigzag placement of the cartridge belt rising from the base platform. The base platform serves as a lifting means by connection to a line, cable, or similar flexible means of traction, and the platform is moved upwardly by a power source acting upon the means of traction so that the upper level of the ammunition supply upon it always remains at approximately the uppermost position in the container.
An ammunition container of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,616 in which the auxiliary power source is an electric motor operating through a rotary drive. A screw spindle and a corresponding internal screw thread are provided in a traverse connected on both sides to the means of traction, in order to convert this rotary drive into the required lifting movement of the lifting platform. The electric motor must be reversed at the beginning and end of each firing sequence, and also for the purpose of refilling the container. The electric motor naturally requires a source of electric power.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel ammunition container of relatively simple construction and which is highly reliable and trouble-free in operation.
It is also an object to provide such an ammunition container in which the motive force is provided by self-contained springs so as to eliminate the necessity for outside or depletable power sources.